Amsterdam Sights

  1. Albert Cuypmarkt

    Amsterdam's largest and busiest market is legendary for its variety - aromatic stalls selling Dutch cheese, olives, herbs and spices, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. Clothes and other general goods are on sale too, often cheaper than anywhere else. If you want to experience the 'real' Amsterdam at its multicultural best, you're in the right place.

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  2. Allard Pierson Museum

    Run by the University of Amsterdam, this museum boasts one of the world's richest archaeological collections. You'll find an actual mummy, vases from ancient Greece and Mesopotamia, a wagon from the royal tombs at Salamis (Cyprus) and galleries full of other items providing insight into daily life in ancient times. Each section is explained in a detailed overview via English signage, although most signage on individual items is in Dutch only.

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  3. Amstelkerk

    The unique, pinewood Amstelkerk was erected in 1668 as a noodkerk (makeshift church) under the direction of the city architect, Daniël Stalpaert. The idea was that the congregation would have somewhere to meet while a permanent church arose next to it. Plans for a stone church were abandoned in the 1840s, and the Amstelkerk's square interior was updated with neo-Gothic alterations, including a pipe organ.

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  4. Amstelpark

    South of the ringway, in the suburb of Buitenveldert, lies the vast Amstelpark, grounds of an international flower show in 1972. The park is a paradise for kids, with a petting zoo, mini-golf, pony rides and a playground. In summer a miniature train chugs its way around the park. Other attractions include rose and rhododendron gardens, and art exhibitions are held in the Glazen Huis (Glass House), Orangerie and Papillon Gallery.

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  5. Amstelsluizen

    These impressive sluices, or locks, date from 1674 and allowed the canals to be flushed with fresh water from lakes north of the city, rather than salt water from the IJ, an innovation that made the city more livable. They were still operated by hand until recently. Four times a week in summer, and twice a week in winter, the locks are shut while fresh water flows in.

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  7. Amsterdam RAI

    This exhibition and conference centre (featured, by the way, in Jacques Tati's 1971 film Trafic ) is the largest such complex in the country. The building opened in 1961 and just keeps expanding, for the car, fashion, horse-jumping and 50-odd other shows held here every year. RAI stands for Rijwiel en Automobiel Industrie, the bicycle and auto association. To get there, take the metro to the Amsterdam RAI stop or tram 4

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  8. Amsterdam Tulip Museum

    Sponsored by a bulb-growing company, this small, rather clinical exhibit traces the prince of petals from its beginnings in Turkey. Displays cover Tulipmania, bulbs as food in the war years, and present-day scientific methods of growing and harvesting. A highlight is the tulip paintings by 17th-century painter Judith Leijster, a student of Frans Hals. The gift shop is one-stop shop for all your tulip souvenir needs.

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  9. Amsterdams Historisch Museum

    Housed in the old civic orphanage, this museum takes you through all the fascinating twists and turns in Amsterdam's convoluted history. Begin with the large-screen TV depicting an aerial view of the evolution of the city from tiny settlement on the mouth of the Amstel, as it was filled in to create the metropolis. You'll find models of old homes, religious objects (including some relating to the Miracle of Amsterdam) and a detailed history of Dutch commerce.

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  10. Amsterdamse Bos

    The product of a 1930s make-work programme, this woody recreation area a few kilometres southwest of Amsterdam is a boon for urban nature-lovers. You'll find a petting zoo, a sports park, a rowing course with hire craft, and a pancake house, not to mention the open-air Amsterdamse Bos Theatre that stages plays in summer. The forestry museum covers flora, fauna and construction of the park.

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  11. Anne Frank Huis

    It is one of the 20th century's most compelling stories: a young Jewish girl forced into hiding with her family and their friends to escape deportation by the Nazis. The house they used as a hideaway should be a highlight of any visit to Amsterdam; indeed, it gets nearly a million visitors a year. The house itself is now contained within a modern, square shell. Come early or late in the day to avoid the crowds.

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  13. Arcam

    The showpiece building of the Amsterdam Architecture Foundation, the Stichting Architectuur Centrum Amsterdam to locals, is a one-stop shop for all your architectural needs. Exhibits vary, but you are sure to find books, guide maps, suggestions for tours on foot, by bike and by public transport, and reference materials on just about anything built in town from early history to the very latest housing development.

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  14. Artis Zoo

    The world's third-largest zoo (and the oldest in mainland Europe) is the place to bring children in Amsterdam. Laid out in the former Plantage gardens, locals as well as tourists visit to stroll the lush, well-manicured paths. Packed with listed 19th-century buildings and monuments, it feels like a zoological museum.

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  15. Begijnhof

    This enclosed former convent dates from the early 14th century. It's a surreal oasis of peace, with tiny houses and postage-stamp gardens around a well-kept courtyard.

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  16. Beurs Van Berlage

    Half of the Damrak was filled in for this beurs (exchange) building, constructed in 1903. A landmark of Dutch architecture, it was named after architect HP Berlage, who was still designing it after work began. Though the functional lines and stark, square clock tower contrast with the exuberant designs of the age, there are clever details inside and out.

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  17. Bijbels Museum

    This place first gained notoriety thanks to a dedicated minister, Leendert Schouten (1828-1905), who built a scale model of the Jewish Tabernacle described in Exodus. Now on the museum's 3rd floor, the model is said to have attracted thousands of visitors even before it was completed in 1865. Another large exhibit examines the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem from Christian, Jewish and Muslim perspectives.

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  19. Blauwbrug

    Built in 1884, one of the city's most striking bridges replaced an old wooden version that connected these shores of the Amstel since the 17th century. Inspired by the Alexander III bridge in Paris, it features tall, ornate street lamps topped by the imperial crown of Amsterdam, fish sculptures and foundations shaped like the prows of a medieval ship.

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  20. Centraal Station

    Built on an artificial island in 1889, the Centraal Station (Amsterdam CS, to train travellers) was designed as a neo-Renaissance 'curtain', a controversial plan that effectively cut off Amsterdam from the IJ river. One of the architects, PJ Cuypers, also designed the Rijksmuseum, and you can see the similarities - in the square faux-Gothic towers, the fine red brick and the abundant reliefs, for sailing, trade and industry.

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  21. Civic Guard Gallery

    A captivating subgenre of Dutch painting, the enormous tableaux, here are exclusively of medieval guards in group portraits. Divisions such as voetboog (large crossbow) and kloveniers (hackbut) protected the city and played a large part in deposing the Spanish government. Technically, every man had to serve in these guard units, although participation in the portraits was voluntary, as each member paid his own way.

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  22. Concertgebouw

    The literal name 'Concert Building' scarcely does justice to this amazing facility, which attracts some 850,000 visitors a year to 800 shows. This makes it the busiest concert hall in the world but, refreshingly, it hasn't lost its common touch.

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  23. De Appel

    Despite its location in the antiques street of the Spiegel Quarter, this contemporary arts foundation is anything but old-fashioned. Rather, it's a large art and media space with ever-changing exhibits of contemporary works: installation pieces, painting, sculpture and multimedia. Themes vary, but the aim is always to present something not otherwise readily available to the Dutch public. Phone or check the website to find out what's on.

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  25. De Dageraad

    Following the key Housing Act of 1901, which forced the city to rethink neighbourhood planning and condemn slums, the Dageraad housing estate was developed for poorer families between 1918 and 1923. One of the most original Amsterdam School architects, Piet Kramer drew up plans for this idiosyncratic complex in collaboration with Michael de Klerk. The swirling contours of the main tower have been compared to a butter churn.

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  26. De Duif

    In 1796, shortly after the French-installed government proclaimed freedom of religion, De Duif was the first Catholic church to be built with a public entrance for over two centuries. These days De Duif is no longer Catholic but Ecumenical, and also a venue for concerts, opera and private events. If you're able to peek inside, check out the clay friezes of the Stations of the Cross on the right-hand wall.

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  27. De Gooyer Windmill

    This 18th-century grain mill is the sole survivor of five windmills that once stood in this part of town. It moved to its current spot in 1814, when the nearby Oranje-Nassau barracks were built and blocked the wind. The mill was fully renovated in 1925 and is now a private home. Alongside, the public baths were converted into the Brouwerij 't IJ in 1985.

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  28. De Rode Hoed

    The Rode Hoed is a cultural centre that occupies three glorious 17th-century canal houses. Its line-up includes lectures by world-renowned authors and debates on the topics of the day, sometimes in English. It's worth a visit, even when nothing's on, to view the three-storey main auditorium, which was once the largest clandestine church in the Netherlands. De Rood Hoed - 'the Red Hat' - was named for the hat shop once located here.

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  29. Diamond Museum

    More of a showroom than a serious gem collection, Amsterdam's diamond museum provides an interesting look at the history of the trade and the sparkling creations that have adorned the world's rich and powerful. Almost all the exhibits are clever re-creations, in glass cases spread over two floors. It's run by Coster Diamonds next door, which kind of says it all.

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